SANTA CRUZ BICYCLES TALLBOY LT

The Santa Cruz Tallboy LT has made quite a stir in the mountain bike community. As people ask more and more from their 29ers, suspension designs have to keep up. Currently, the Tallboy LT is at the forefront of this evolution. 135mm of VPP suspension and 29 inch wheels make this one of the most versatile bikes on the planet. This version, with the 142mm Maxle rear end, is designed to take all the punishment you can dish out and come back for seconds.

The Tallboy LT is made of aluminum, with Santa Cruz's signature hydroformed top and down tubes. It's a little heavier than its carbon brother, but its price is much friendlier. Looking at the geometry, the Tallboy LT is longer and taller than the original Tallboy–but to keep that in perspective, the original Tallboy's short chainstays and ultra-compact head tube make it one of the most nimble full-suspension 29ers out there. The Tallboy LT maintains similar dimensions and adds 35mm of rear travel (135mm total) while accommodating a 130-150mm front fork. The head tube angle has been slackened a bit, to a more stable 69.5 degrees. Throw in the inherent rolling advantages of 29 inch wheels and you have a bike that conquers the sketchiest descents with aplomb.

The VPP rear-suspension on the Tallboy LT utilizes patented, counter-rotating shock links that allow for a variable feel throughout the suspension travel. When sag is set correctly, the Tallboy LT is extremely responsive to small- and medium-sized bumps. For larger hits that push it deeper into its travel, it becomes more stubborn, a necessity to avoid harsh bottom-out. It's also a crisp, efficient pedaler, even in the small chainring. Another big plus of VPP suspension is its durability; Santa Cruz guarantees the pivot bearings for life. Rear squish is handled by a light and custom-tuned Fox Float RP23 with a slick Kashima coating. Its three-position ProPedal lever lets you select an appropriate amount of platform damping for the terrain you're riding. Select more damping for tame singletrack, or leave it wide-open for plushness over hairy sections.

Santa Cruz didn’t simply tweak the geometry of the original Tallboy and call it a day. This frame has received some insightful upgrades. Recognizing that the Tallboy LT will see heavy-duty, bone-rattling action, Santa Cruz added ISCG05 tabs to the bottom bracket shell to accommodate a chainguide. Additionally, the lower suspension link is asymmetrical to ensure chainguide clearance. The grease ports on the lower link are recessed to keep them out of harm's way.

The Santa Cruz Tallboy LT has a 1-1/8 to 1-1/2 inch tapered head tube. Like all of Santa Cruz's bikes, it has a user-friendly threaded bottom bracket shell. The rear dropout accepts a standard 142 x 12mm thru-axle. IS brake mounts make adding your favorite brakes as easy as possible. You'll need to pair the frame with a 30.9mm seatpost and a 34.9mm bottom-swing, top-pull front derailleur.

The Santa Cruz Tallboy LT comes in sizes Medium through X-Large and in two color options: Gulf Blue/orange and Gloss Gun Black/black.